Change to active voice
The thief was shot by the guard​

The guard shot the thief.

Explanation:

Active voice is the form of a verb whereby the subject is the one who performs the action tand also takes a direct object.

In this case, the sentence "The thief was shot by the guard" is in passive voice. Therefore, the correct form in active voice will be "The guard shot the thief".

what are your options ?

i would say years or cherry blossoms